By Dixon Bledsoe
So how exactly does a construction manager end up owning a beautiful restaurant on Silver Creek in historic Silverton?
Manny Rodrigues paints a great story. The North Salem High graduate lives in Beaverton, spent eight years in Hawaii and is a construction lead for Mo Salem, owner of Westside Drywall. Locals see the company’s handiwork all over town, most notably the restoration of the Wolf Building, the extreme makeover of the former Silver Falls Realty Building (corner of Main and Water), Silverton Coffee Station buildings and the Hartman Building.
But he’s had another dream – his own restaurant.
“I’ve spent 20 years thinking of this since Hawaii,” Rodrigues said. “I like the atmosphere of a small, happy space in a little café with tourists, each with their own story.”
His thoughts go back to the islands, tropical food and drinks and the feeling of being close to the water. But with family here in Oregon, including siblings nearby and two daughters (one in college, 19, and one in high school, 16), a move is not in the forefront of his thinking.
His work on Silverton restorations developed his great affinity with the community. And it is in Silverton that he decided to realize his dream.
Creekside Grill will be a traditional grill – great steaks, Northwest cuisine featuring seafood, an intimate bar, but, according to Rodrigues, it will be a place where “Kids are welcome and encouraged. We are going to be a restaurant that has great meals at reasonable prices; families are welcome. It will have a nice lounge catering to the after-work crowd and an atmosphere unlike any other in town.”
It’s the community and its attributes, he feels, that make the difference. “This is a beautiful location and people have made us feel so welcome here. Folks who haven’t seen it will love it. Those who have seen it consistently say ‘wow!’”
Nestled close to the water, passersby might never notice the restaurant was there except for its signage. It is tucked in the Hartman Building next to City Hall.
Patrons will enter from Water Street, walk down steps (or take the recently installed wheelchair-accessible elevator) and suddenly the ambience will strike a favorable aesthetic blow.
The creek is right there, the atmosphere is intimate, the deck is welcoming although virtually all tables will see the trees and the water, and the art work is wonderful. If there were a theme, according to Rodrigues, it would be tropical with a water back.
Rodrigues wants prices to be attractive to the budget. “We have many entrees between $10 and $14, and we want families. There will be a kids’ menu, and at some point, maybe a happy hour,” he said about his new venture.
He is not quite ready to name his manager and chef, although the decision is coming soon, especially because he aims for a July opening. Business hours are still up in the air, but Rodrigues feels “We will probably be open six to seven days weekly, and we might try 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. – offering lunch and dinner.”
When asked what his signature meal and drink will be, Rodgrigues just smiled.
“I hope we have more than one, but there will be a nice big Porterhouse and something tropical from the bar. But it will be a special place. It has nothing to do with me, everything to do with a beautiful location. It’s just a nice place to hang out.”
